


All The Legends Are True

by hufflebecks



Category: Dalton Academy Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, M/M, Mentions of Haven, Mentions of Something Damaged, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:27:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24142828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflebecks/pseuds/hufflebecks
Summary: Julian is in love with three people, and things have been going pretty well until he's lost in a forest, time is fast forwarding, and suddenly there are wolves.~~ Julian is the only human amongst wolves. This will include other mythological creatures, but will be focused mostly on wolves. ~~
Relationships: Julian Larson-Armstrong/John Logan Wright III, Julian Larson-Armstrong/Riley Paige, Julian Larson-Armstrong/Sebastian Smythe
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. He Deserves To Know

_“Not this weekend, Jules.”_

Julian sighed and threw his phone down beside him on the bed. Nobody wanted to hang out this weekend, giving him weak excuses or just flat out refusing. He’d asked Derek, “Sorry, Amanda has a school camp. I volunteered to help.”; Logan, “No, I have plans. Ask Derek.”; Sebastian; “God there’s nothing in the world I want more, but my father demands we have family time this weekend.”; Riley: “Maybe Sunday — I’m busy until then.”. He even sent a text to Clark and got a text back from Sinclair that said, “We have a show, but we can pick you up on Tuesday?” and finally, Cameron who’d sent back the “Not this weekend, Jules.” a few minutes later.

Julian was half tempted to text more of his co-stars but talked himself out of it, too dejected to bother now. Even if they did want to hang out, he’d feel like it was more out of pity than anything. Besides, it was too much of a hassle to fly to California and back all the time. At least when Haven wanted to hang, they’d come crash with him for a day or so before taking him back, unlike his co-stars who made him fly to them.

It was Friday night, he was in the prime of his life, it was summer vacation, and he was bored. He considered hitting a club but even that sounded like too much effort, and the arguments with his boyfriends afterwards wouldn’t be nearly worth it. They always seemed to know when he had been grinding on some hot stranger at 3am.

“Fuck,” Julian cursed and flopped off his bed, deciding he may as well go for a run to get some energy out. He’d spend the weekend by himself, do a bunch of self-care and then make them all make it up to him come next week.

Not a few minutes later, he was dressed in his jogging gear and heading out towards his favorite trail. It was a hot day, and he’d worked up a sweat before even getting to the trail head, but he enjoyed that feeling, starting to feel the first hit of dopamine course through him.

Julian had jogged this trail so many times that he didn’t need to pay attention to the signs, knowing which paths were harder than the others, and which led to better views. Which meant he noticed when he’d gone on a different path than normal — and he’d taken them all before. But this was new, and after a minute he slowed down to take in his surroundings.

It was mostly tall trees like normal, but the ground under his feet was hardly touched. Nobody had run this way lately, or at all, the grass barely flattened. Julian glanced around, wondering if he’d somehow gone off track, but he saw a sign nailed to a tree with a mile marker, so he figured maybe it was just a new track.

He shrugged and kept jogging, slower now as he started to take note of his surroundings but it started to fade into familiar territory again before long and his mind started to wander. He thought again about all his friends and lovers being busy that weekend and wondering how many of those were lies. Julian didn’t like to think of himself as insecure but something wasn’t adding up.

Derek had told him about the camp, so he doubted Derek was lying. He loved his sister and wouldn’t use her for lies to get out of hanging out. Logan hadn’t mentioned any plans, neither had Riley but that didn’t mean either of them was lying, either. Cameron wasn’t supposed to be filming, but he also did have Lacey to look after, so he wasn’t too upset at that rejection. Sebastian seemed genuinely apologetic and Julian knew well what Mr. Smythe was like, so he trusted his answer. He absolutely knew Sinclair had lied to him. They weren’t playing any shows that weekend, and that was the only one he knew was lying with no doubt. It would have stung less if everyone else hadn't rejected him though.

Julian stopped to take a break, drinking half his water in one go as he caught his breath. He’d been jogging for a while, and it was starting to ache. He didn’t mind that feeling, the burn was nice, but he needed to sit for a couple of minutes. Jules sat against a tree and checked his phone. Only one message, from Derek who sent a photo of Amanda wearing her girl scouts uniform. Jules smiled and replied, “All ready to go brave the wild. Tell her to scare the pants off the other girls with spooky stories.” and Derek replied quickly, “Got it. Talk later.”

Julian put his phone back away and shivered, a cold shiver going down his spine suddenly as a cloud passed overhead, making the dense forest area darker and the heat vanishing with it. Julian rubbed his arms and stood, ready to get back on his run so he could head back to his house and take a nice warm bath.

He began to jog again but after just a minute, slowed down, hesitating. Something felt wrong. The sun hadn’t returned yet, and he still felt cold setting in, almost blanketing the forest, but there was something else that he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

‘You just feel uneasy being alone’ Julian told himself, trying to shake off the feeling, but he couldn’t. It wasn’t until he’d been standing still for some minutes that he realized that it wasn’t just a cloud overhead, it had grown dark. Julian had left before noon, and it had barely been an hour, there was no way that the sun had set yet. It was summer, he had another half day of daylight left.

Julian took his phone back out and looked at the time.

9:24pm.

“That can’t be right,” Julian frowned, starting to feel a wave of confused fear crash over him. He looked back at his text with Derek, only minutes before, and it said ‘Sent at 11:42am’.

It’s impossible that almost 10 hours had passed. But Julian looked up at the sky between the treetops, and there was absolutely no doubt now that it was nighttime. The sky was dark, and he could see the full moon, the only light visible. Julian felt scared but took a deep breath, figuring he’d fallen asleep without realizing it. It didn’t feel right, but it was the only logical explanation.

He turned on his phone’s torch and started to walk again, shining the light at all the trees to find more signs but after ten minutes, there was none. He shivered and debated what to do — should he turn back the way he came, knowing it might be another hour before he made it back to that first sign, or should he keep going? The longest trail in this forest was three hours, and he had no idea how this compared. He should have paid more attention.

With a mental toss up in his head, he decided to go back the way he’d come. At least there was less of the unknown going backwards. He turned around, keeping his phone light on the ground to follow the “path” but that was a struggle in the dark. The path had hardly existed in the first place, and now Julian feels stupid for even thinking it was legit. Anyone could nail a sign to a tree to trick someone.

Julian kept an eye on the time this time, checking it every minute or two to make sure that no more time jumps happened, and to count down to when he assumed he’d be back at the trail head. But after an hour of walking, he started to get worried. It was so cold now, so dark and ominous in the forest that fear was starting to creep into his every thought.

He texted Riley first, finally willing to be called stupid for getting lost if it means being rescued. “I got lost, please come find me.”

No reply after a minute, so he texted Logan and Sebastian the same thing. No replies. Julian’s hands were beginning to shake as he kept walking, goosebumps covering his arms. He hadn’t expected to be out there more than a couple of hours at most, let alone half a day, even if he doesn’t remember most of it.

“Fucking answer,” Julian’s voice shook as he looked at his phone. Between the torch and constant checking, his battery was nearing 15%, and he was getting panicked.

He called them all, no answers. Then he called Derek, who answered after six rings. Julian heard kids yelling in the background, and Derek was trying to keep his voice down as he answered, “What, J?”

“I’m lost,” Julian hated how scared he sounded, but now he didn’t care.

“What? Where are you?” Derek sounded confused.

“I went for a run, but I can’t find my way back.”

“The f- hell are you doing going for runs at night for?” Derek demanded, trying not to let the girls overhear him.

“It was light when I left,” Julian said, trying not to argue, “My phone is getting low Derek, please come get me.”

There was a pause then Derek sighed and with a low voice, “Fuck, Jules. I can’t just leave. Did you try Ri-”

“Nobody is answering,” Julian hissed, still walking as he tried to look around in the dark for any signs or paths.

“How long have you been walking?” Derek asked, and Jules replied, “I don’t know. Time is weird.”

“What does that mean?” Derek sounded confused again but before Julian could answer, he continued, “Call someone, Jules. Call the cops or something, they’ll get you out of there. I’ll look you up on Find Friends and see if I can’t get hold of someone.”

Julian felt a bit calmer at Derek’s words — even far away, Derek had a plan and was talking sense.

“Thanks, D. I’ll message you when I’m out of here.”

“Good. Talk later.” Derek hung up, not one for proper goodbyes.

Julian looked at his phone and saw his battery was flashing its 5% warning. His torch had turned off a few minutes back and the screen was dim, but he could see it just enough to dial for the police. It rang and rang, and nobody picked up. Julian hung up and tried again, but the same thing happened before his phone flashed once then turned off, battery dead.

“Fuck!” Julian cried out, resisting the urge to chuck the thing away from him. It may be dead, but he still needed it. His heart was pounding hard in his chest, feeling angry, guilty and scared.

He had to take some time to calm himself, getting his bearings back before he began to walk again. It was so cold now, more from his fright than from the cold since it wasn’t that bad, just breezy. He just hoped Derek had managed to get his location before his phone turned off.

Julian had walked for another ten minutes before he started to hear footsteps and branches snapping underfoot, and he felt a leap of hope that he was near the main paths again.

“Hello!?” He yelled out, spinning around for a moment to try to determine exactly where the noise was coming from. “I’m lost, please!”

The noises had stopped, and Julian felt turned around again, not sure which way he was facing. If he was being honest with himself, he’d turned himself around a few times over the past few hours and was more lost than ever.

He kept screaming in his mind ‘They’ll find you if you stay in one place’ but the idea of sitting idly in the forest scared him more, and he was sure if he just kept walking, he’d find the right way eventually and nobody else would know about what had happened. He’d swear Derek to secrecy, and tell his boyfriends that he’d had a bad dream and was confused, lie his way out of it.

Julian took a step forward again but then something brushed up against his arm, something soft and warm, and Julian fell back with a yell. He stumbled against a tree, knocking himself over and scrambled away quickly, fearful of whatever he’d just touched.

He heard a low growl, and could just make out a pair of eyes staring at him. Julian squeezed his eyes tight, figuring this was it — this was how he died. It wasn’t going to be a stunt on set, or from the twins’ pranks, or from some bad edibles. It’d be getting lost in a forest and eaten by a bear.

Julian covered his head with his arms, holding his breath. He could hear the creature walk up to him and heard its snarling growl right near his face. Last thing he noticed before he passed out was the feel of it’s hot breath on his arm hairs.

* * *

When Julian woke up, he was in his bed with his phone plugged in on the side table next to a glass of water. Julian looked around blearily, not quite sure what was going on. He had no idea what time it was, if he’d been asleep for long, or anything really. He sipped at the water then turned his phone on, rubbing his head.

Julian felt nauseous, like he hadn’t eaten for a few days, and his legs hurt. It felt like the typical discomfort after a long run, and Julian suddenly remembered what had happened. He’d been out running, gotten lost of 12 or so hours, then there was something who’d gone to attack him.

Julian pulled his knees up to his chest, breathing hard as he tried to make sense of anything at all. There was no way it was a dream, his body hurt too much and the memories were too vivid for that. There was a knock on his door then Sebastian came in, carrying a tray of breakfast.

“Good morning, kitten,” Sebastian said easily with a wink, setting the tray down. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“Wh-” Julian started, staring at Sebastian and felt even more confused. “Where were you?”

“In the kitchen?” Sebastian raised an eyebrow, “Making you a heal-”

“No, last night.” Julian demanded, feeling the fear start to leave again, leaving him only with anger and confusion, “You weren’t answering!”

“I’m sorry,” Sebastian raised his hands in surrender, looking concerned but also eyeing Julian like he was sizing him up, “I fell asleep early.”

“That’s a lie,” Julian hissed, eyes narrowed, “You never fall asleep early.”

Sebastian had a short laugh, “What do you want me to say, J? Can’t a guy go to bed early sometimes?”

Julian felt angry tears spring to his eyes, making Sebastian’s smile drop away as he came to sit beside him, “Hey, what happened?”

“How’d I get home?” Julian asked instead, eyes still locked onto Sebastian. He needed answers.

Sebastian hesitated for just a moment then stuttered, “Y-You we-”

“Don’t. Lie.” Julian whispered.

Sebastian dropped his eyes and after a long moment, finally he said, “I went and got you. Derek called me, told me where to find you.”

Julian kept staring at him, wanting more answers than that but Sebastian didn’t seem too keen to keep talking.

“What the fuck, Sebastian?” Julian felt like crying, he was so lost, and he just needed help understanding, “What happened to me?”

“I don’t know,” Sebastian looked at him again, and Julian could see the truth in that answer, “I don’t know how you got to where you were, or why you were out that far at night, but I got you back.”

“There was a dog,” Julian started but Sebastian was quick to cut him off, “No there wasn’t.”

Julian’s eyes narrowed, “Yes there was. Or a coyote or something, maybe a wol-”

“No,” Sebastian stood up and turned towards the door, “You were scared and imagining things.”

“Bas!” Julian yelled, picking up the fork as if to throw it at his boyfriend, “Stop lying!”

Sebastian turned back to him, a dark look in his own eyes as he stared at Julian, “What do you want me to say, J? That you walked a few hundred acres in the middle of the night, and was followed by a dog?”

“Yes,” Julian’s tone was cool, “Because that’s what happened. I left before noon, then it was midnight, I was lost and there was a huge dog that was growling at me. And you weren’t picking up your fucking phone!”

Sebastian stared at him at that outburst then sighed, fists clenching and unclenching, taking his time to calm down before his next words. “There were no dogs when I got there, Julian, just you passed out.”

“How’d you find me?” Julian asked, feeling some of his own anger drain now that it seemed like Sebastian wasn’t willing to fight him.

“Like I said, Derek sent me your location.”

“You walked?” Julian asked, “It was the middle of the night.”

Sebastian hesitated again then nodded, “Well yeah, I walked.”

Julian noticed that hesitation and felt his emotions peek up again, “What are you still not telling me?”

Sebastian closed his eyes and whispered, “I can’t tell you, kitten.”

“Tell me what?”

A long pause.

“Nothing. Look… please eat your breakfast then take a shower. We’ll talk after I get back.”

“Wait, no,” Julian protested, “You can’t leave me after that!”

“I have to go pick up Al,” Sebastian said, “I’ll be back in an hour or so. Please just eat, J.”

Julian couldn’t tell if he was lying or not, but he wasn’t going to be the shitty boyfriend to keep Sebastian from picking up his little brother if he was telling the truth.

“Fine, but I want the full truth of what the fuck is going on when you get back,” Julian demanded, albeit sounding defeated.

Sebastian nodded once but didn’t agree verbally, giving Julian one long look before heading out. As soon as the door closed, he took out his phone and immediately started to text.

Julian stayed in bed. He didn’t eat, though he did sip at the water again as he tried to piece things together. Nothing made sense, and he knew Sebastian was hiding something from him. The time skip was scary, the giant dog that had been about to eat him had been worse, and now he was safe in bed and Sebastian was giving him the run around.

He occupied himself with his phone while he waited for Sebastian to come home, checking his messages and voice-mails.

 **Lo <3 [0623]**: Wait, you’re lost?? Julian??  
[7 missed calls]  
 **Lo <3 [0628]**: Pick up, damn it!  
[16 missed calls]  
 **Lo <3 [0701]**: Sebastian told me he found you. Fuck you.  
 **Lo <3 [0702]**: I’m sorry. I love you.  
[2 missed calls]

 **Riley <3 [0629]**: I’m sorry.

 **D [0051]** : I sent your location to Seb, he should be close.  
 **D [0112]** : Call me when you get home, please.  
 **D [0231]** : If you die, I’ll never forgive you, asshole.  
 **D [0258]** : Seb said he’s got you. You’re still an asshole.  
 **D [0301]** : We are having a LONG talk about night walks when I get back.

 **Mikey (Haven) [0411]** : We all miss you, wish you could be with us.

It wasn’t missed on Julian that the texts from Logan and Riley all came in only recently, even though he’d been texting them for help around midnight. He wondered bitterly if all of them, Sebastian included because of how shady he was being, were all hooking up without him there. To lie about being busy, and then go out together stung horribly.

He put his phone aside and wiped his face, trying not to let it bother him too much, but he couldn’t help it — nothing made sense.

He was just debating on whether to actually take a shower or not when he heard the front door open again, and he heard voices. Jules could identify Logan easily, the loudest of them who seemed to be arguing with Sebastian. Julian sighed, closing his eyes for a moment while his head throbbed, now doubting he was going to get anything truthful from either of them.

There was no knock this time, the door opening and Julian looked over to see all three of them standing there. Logan came over first, and Julian somehow expected to be hit or yelled at, but Logan only wrapped him in a hug, almost seeming to breathe Julian in.

“Fuck,” Logan cursed, looking Julian deep into his eyes as if making sure he really was okay, “Don’t scare me like that.”

“Scare you!? I was-” Julian started but Logan kissed him, effectively shutting him up. Julian let it happen for a second before pushing Logan away. Logan didn’t mind, just sighing as he asked, “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Julian answered truthfully as he glanced over to Sebastian and Riley. Riley was being his usual quiet brooding self, just standing back and staring but Sebastian had a guilty look on his face.

At this, Julian narrowed his eyes onto him, “You lied again.”

“Al did need picking up,” Sebastian defended himself, “But it only took five minutes. I had to go talk to these guys.”

“About me?” Julian asked, and Logan scoffed, “Who else?”

Julian frowned, “What is going on? Why weren’t any of you there last night? I had to call Derek for help!”

“I’m sorry,” Riley said as he finally stepped forward, and Julian scowled, “Stop saying you’re sorry if you don’t mean it.”

“But I do,” Riley sat down next to Julian and took his hand, glad when Julian didn’t pull away, “For not being there last night.”

“Well, where were you?” Julian asked though he looked to all three of them.

Logan was glaring at Sebastian who looked defensive, both of them having been arguing about what to tell Julian. But it was Riley who answered first, “We have a lot to talk about.”

“Riley, stop,” Logan warned, but Riley just calmly shook his head, “He deserves to know.”

“Know what?” Julian sounded anxious now — hand starting to tremble, expecting to be told the worst. Last night’s misadventure barely crossed his mind, more worried about the state of his relationships than anything else at that moment.

“First,” Riley paused and gave Julian a kiss of his own, it was soft but wanting, and Julian leaned into it more than the one he’d given back to Logan minutes ago.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” Riley said once the kiss was broken, squeezing Julian’s hand, “You had us worried.”

Julian stayed silent, tired of pleading for answers that nobody was giving him.

“Riley…” Logan said again, but Riley glanced at him, “No, Logan. It’s too dangerous for him now, last night shouldn’t have happened. We can’t keep him safe all the time.”

“Safe?” Julian looked to Riley, seemingly the only one wanting to talk.

Sebastian made his way back over, taking Julian’s other side since Logan obviously wasn’t going to sit down, “God, how do we even start?”

“How about with the blunt truth?” Riley only looked at Julian and with a gentle tone he said, “We’re not human, Julian. All of us are wolves.”

Julian cracked a smile for a moment, since Riley only deadpanned like that for the rare joke, but his smile faded immediately when nobody else smiled. Logan was looking furious, Sebastian looked ashamed, and Riley was looking intent.

“W-what?” Julian spluttered.

“Werewolves, or lycanthropes if you’d prefer that,” Riley replied, searching Julian’s face, “It was Sebastian you saw last night.”

Julian couldn’t say anything, just closed his eyes and whispered, “That’s impossible.”

“It’s not,” Sebastian spoke up, voice having lost all the cockiness it usually possessed, “Riley is telling the truth.”

“Get out,” Julian whispered, and when none of them moved, he screamed, “GET OUT!”

Riley stood up, letting go of Julian’s hand and nodded, “We’ll give you space.”

“No,” Logan protested, still looking angry but Sebastian put a hand on his chest, eyeing him, “He needs time.”

Julian was shaking, and Logan could smell the emotions off him — fear and anger being the main two. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Julian like that, but when Riley turned to look him and his eyes blazed for just a quick flash, Logan’s head lowered, and he nodded.

With Sebastian and Logan leaving, Riley lingered at the door for a moment then said, “I’ll be downstairs, Julian.”

Julian didn’t give him the honor of a response, so Riley just followed after the others, door closing behind him. Once they had gone, Julian screamed and threw the forgotten breakfast tray at the door, watching the bowl and plate smash and the food go flying.

He’d grown up hearing tales of monsters, of wolves and vampires, of witches and the fae, but they were all stories. He’d asked once, maybe he was eight or nine, if it was all a story or not, and his mother had promised him that none of it was any more real than Santa, or the Easter bunny. Julian had believed her, of course he would, and would always laugh at stories of myths like that. He was so proud of himself for never being scared of the stories, even the gory ones. It helped that he used to star in darker TV shows or movies, and it became all just a fantasy.

But now, the three people he loved more than anyone in the world were telling him the opposite. Sure, he could see Logan doing it to piss him off, or Sebastian for shits and giggles, but Riley would never do anything like that. Of all of them, Riley barely knew what jokes were, let alone plan to trick Julian in this way, not after the night he had.

Wolves. Julian knew about them from enough Hollywood movies, and he went through a minor Twilight phase since he knew he’d be asked about it in interviews. But there was a huge difference between real life and movies, at least… there was supposed to be.

With sick realization, Julian remembered the night before with the large dog, bearing its fangs and growling at him. A wolf. That had to be a wolf. He had no idea how he’d gotten home, and Sebastian had been sketchy. Could it be true that Sebastian had been there… as a wolf? But why would Sebastian growl at him, scare him like that?

It was too much, too far-fetched and Julian let out a bitter sob. This wasn’t real, and they were just playing a cruel prank, maybe to get him back for taking a night hike without even hearing his explanation or concerns. He curled up into himself, letting all these thoughts run back and forward in his mind.

Downstairs, the three other boys had gathered on Julian’s sofa. It was familiar territory to them all, though they’d never been there without Julian before. They may all be dating Jules, but they certainly weren’t seeing each other. Hell, Logan and Sebastian hardly saw eye-to-eye at all, and neither of them spoke to Riley very much unless it was about Julian or pack business.

“You shouldn’t have told him,” Logan was directing all his anger at Riley who was looking composed as usual, which just pissed Logan off more.

“He was unsafe, and I wasn’t going to lie my way out of it again,” Riley answered, leveling his gaze back to the tall blond, “You heard what Seb said, he was so far into that forest.”

“We don’t know why,” Logan kept his voice low and dangerous, “He’s a stupid human sometimes, he was probably just daydreaming.”

“You know that isn’t true,” Sebastian spoke up, “Julian is pretty careful, and it was too late in the day. Something tricked him. There was magic in the air, I could smell it.”

Logan was still pissed, but he had no rebuttal for that, instead backing up to spit out, “He’s in more danger now.”

“No,” Riley countered, “If he knows, it means we don’t have to hide as much. We can protect him.”

“He hates us!” Logan all but yelled, “Did you not just see the look in his eyes?”

“I did,” Riley nodded, “But he needs time. Both of you needed time when you figured it out.”

“I wasn’t dating three wolves. I wasn’t trapped by some witches in a fucking forest for an entire day and scared half to death by a fucking wolf when I learned the truth.”

Riley just nodded, the slightest tremor in his hand giving away his unease about the situation though he looked otherwise composed.

Sebastian sighed, “Look, it’s done now. It’s up to him if he wants to ask more, or leave. I love him, but he’s human - he can’t be controlled by us, by Riley.”

“And that’s a good thing,” Riley said as he looked at the brown haired french boy, “We all need to give him the time and space to process this.”

“So what do you suggest we do, sit around like a bunch of assholes and wait for him?” Logan growled, eyes sparking gold for a moment until Riley leveled him and his eyes turned back to his normal green.

“That’s exactly what we do,” Riley said, “And you better get control of yourself, Logan, or he’s going to think of us as monsters.”

“We are,” Sebastian scoffed.

“We’re werewolves, we don’t have to be monsters.”

Logan got up and heading to the front door, “Well you two can sit around, I’m going to find these fucking witches and see what the hell they wanted with him.”

“Don’t get yourself into trouble, Logan,” Riley told him, not forbidding him but feeling close to, “Find information but don’t confront them without us.”

Logan glared as he left, not making any promises.

Sebastian sighed again as he looked to his leader, “Is there anything I can do?”

“Not right now,” Riley said after a moment of contemplation, “I plan to wait here until he comes down. You’re free to do what you’d like, but if you go with Logan, keep him out of trouble. We don’t need more curses.”

Sebastian nodded, looking to the door then to the stairs, wondering which he’d like to deal with, if any. A minute later, he stood and nodded, “I’ll go make sure Logan knows what he’s doing. Will you call when Julian wants answers?”

“Of course,” Riley said, “But I wouldn’t expect much today.”

Sebastian nodded, giving him a quick smile before leaving the house. He could smell Julian’s emotions so strongly, there was so much hatred and fear that it felt suffocating. No wonder Logan bolted immediately. He didn’t know how Riley could stand to be there with those kinds of scents from their boyfriend, and not want to race up to him and help.

Riley waited.


	2. We Are Made By Our History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julian lets Riley in so they discuss everything.

Riley reluctantly had to leave that afternoon since Jake had gotten into a scrap with another pack and needed rescuing. Apart from that, the rest of the day went pretty normally. He patched Jake up, scolded him for his actions then sent him on his way. Logan and Sebastian hadn’t reported seeing or learning anything new, the smell of magic had long since faded from the forest and even Logan knew better than to go find some fae to ask questions to.

Julian hadn’t come downstairs, and Riley could tell through his hearing and Julian’s scent that he’d calmed down and fallen asleep just before Riley had to leave. He did leave him a note though, promising to give him as many answers as he needed if he wanted them.

Julian didn’t talk to any of them for over a week. It was agony. Logan paced around, yelling at anyone who dared to even look at him. He’d half-destroyed his bedroom before Riley had come in and scolded him into submission. Sebastian had taken to keeping an eye on Julian’s house at all hours, only napping when he knew Julian had company. Riley kept on as usual but was still trying to figure out what kind of magic had effected Julian in the forest that night. It made him uneasy. Fae don’t mess with humans for no reason, even those who run with wolves.

Derek had been going to Julian’s house the most, the only one Julian was allowing in after he’d returned from the camp on Monday. Derek had been angry with Julian at first for getting lost, but then Julian had explained his side of things, including how his three boyfriends had told him about them being wolves.

“Well fuck,” Derek cursed but he didn’t look surprised.

“Wait… you knew?” Julian eyed him and Derek at least looked ashamed, “Yeah.”

“What, Derek!?” Julian felt betrayed again but Derek had held his hands up, “I’m not one of them, calm down.”

That did make Julian calm down a bit but he still felt angry, “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

Derek snorted, “Tell you that you happened to be dating three werewolves without you knowing werewolves even existed? I’m sure you’d have committed me to an asylum.”

“Yeah, well,” Julian stammered then sighed, “I should have been told.”

“If it’s any consolation, I wanted to tell you last year but I was told it was safer for you to not know. And until now, that was true. I’m glad you got to keep your innocence for longer.”

Julian shook his head, not sure what to feel about that. About any of it. He still hadn’t come to terms with it all, but he was starting to believe it. It was now too elaborate of a hoax for them to be lying.

“Look,” Derek sighed as he spun around in Julian’s desk chair, “I only know because my parents told me when I was a kid but that it was dangerous to know. I didn’t realize Logan was a wolf until sophomore year when he wolfed out at his father when I was there one afternoon. It scared me half to death, but more because I thought he was gonna rip Johnny into pieces.”

“He should have, I hate that guy,” Julian mumbled which made Derek laugh, “Well I didn’t feel that way at the time.”

“And Riley and Sebastian?” Julian asked.

“I don’t know, I don’t talk to them,” Derek responded. He hung with the group enough to be friendly to them but that was about it. He’d never seen either of them transform, never talked wolf to them.

“Are they dangerous?” Julian asked.

“You could just talk to them,” Derek prompted but the glare he got in return made him sure that Julian wasn’t ready for that yet.

“Fine,” Derek sighed, “They can be. I mean… they’re werewolves not puppies. They’re fangs and claws, and at least for Logan, tempers.”

“Great, so Logan could tear my throat out if I piss him off. How fun,” Julian deadpanned.

Derek laughed, “I fucking doubt it, all of those guys love you. I don’t know why since you’re a cocky bastard and have an incredibly high ego.”

Julian glared again but Derek just snorted, “That doesn’t work on me, I’m not in your weird little orgy group.”

Julian punched him on the arm but there was no venom behind it. He didn’t have enough energy for venom, and he knew Derek was teasing. He also owed Derek since if it wasn’t for him, he might not have gotten out of that forest at all.

“I can’t tell you much,” Derek said truthfully after a few minutes, “Only they can. I suggest Riley, he’s the alpha.”

“Alpha?” Julian asked despite knowing what that meant.

“Yeah, the pack leader. Logan and Sebastian are his betas, Jake too I think. Maybe Colby? But I don’t know if Colby is a wolf or just an idiot.”

“They’re a pack?” Julian felt a bit light-headed again, too much information at once but he needed answers.

“Yep, a pack of idiots but a pack none-the-less. I think Riley is the alpha because he was born a wolf, but I don’t quite remember. I remember Logan saying it once off hand but he didn’t clarify. I don’t ask a lot of questions.”

Julian nodded but wished Derek did ask more questions - it would mean Julian himself didn’t have to go talk to them.

Julian missed them so much, but the pain he felt was keeping him away. None of them had come back after he’d kicked them out, so he stayed alone at home. After a week, he was getting too frustrated at the silence that he finally texted Riley, “Come over.”

Riley was there in just three minutes.

“Fuck!” Julian jumped when Riley knocked on his door, heart pounding.

“Sorry,” Riley apologized as he came in and he did look apologetic as he searched Julian’s face for distress.

“Were you fucking camping outside or something?” Julian demanded, and Riley answered, “Or something.”

Julian sighed, rubbing his temple then said, “Sit down.”

Riley nodded, coming over to sit beside Julian on his bed. He sighed, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders at being this close to his boyfriend again, being with him on the bed and smelling his familiar scent. Riley had coped better in that past week than the others, but he still struggled with being apart from Julian.

Riley said nothing, letting Julian lead the conversation at whatever pace he was willing. Julian was staring at his hands, curling and uncurling a loose thread off his shirt. He knew Riley was wanting him to talk but now that he was there, he didn’t quite know what to say or ask first.

It took a few minutes of careful thinking before finally he commented, “You should have told me.”

“I know,” Riley replied, wanting nothing more than to take Julian into his arms but it didn’t feel appropriate.

“You lied to me,” Julian sounded defeated, no anger at all and that hurt worse somehow.

“I did,” Riley agreed, not too proud to deny it and not offering any excuses either.

Julian finally peeked at him and asked, “Why?”

“I wanted to protect you, we all did,” Riley met his eyes, hoping Julian would see his honesty in that answer.

“From what? From yourselves?” Julian was searching his face for something but even he wasn’t sure what.

“Sometimes, yes. But there’s more danger out there than us, and I wanted to keep you safe from that, too.”

That was one of the things Julian hadn’t asked Derek - about what else was out there. He was having a hard enough time coping with werewolves, the idea of anything else being real seemed too overwhelming. But now that his conversation with Riley was straying into that territory, he felt himself feeling braver.

“What else is there?” Julian asked, dropping his eyes again but Riley lifted his chin so Julian would make eye-contact again.

“I will tell you everything, but how about we start with us first? You’re going to hear a lot of things you won’t believe, I don’t want to overload you.”

Julian nodded once, this seemed reasonable. His eyes prompted Riley to keep talking, and Riley understood that it was time to just let it all out. All the truths, the secrets, their history. He’d been planning what to tell Julian all week so he came prepared. He had asked the others if they were wanting to tell their own stories, or let him handle it for them - they agreed to let Riley do all the talking.

“I was born a wolf - my father is a werewolf, and he married my human mother. Born wolves are rare, the mother and pup rarely survive the birth, but they were young and in love and thought the risk was worth it.”

“But don’t you have a brother?” Julian cut in, knowing full well about Jake.

“Yes,” Riley sighed, “I was born strong, my mother only suffered a little so they thought it wouldn’t hurt to try to give me a sibling. They got pregnant only a few months after I was born, but they knew right away that this was different. My mother was reportedly sick the entire pregnancy, it was like Jake was sucking the life out of her. She was almost dead the night Jake had to be cut from her, just 23 weeks into the pregnancy.

“Dad told me years later that he’d left Jake to die, wanting to save his wife more than the baby. Mom lived, of course, but she’s never been the same.”

Julian lowered his eyes - he’d met Mrs. Paige a couple of times, she was wheelchair-bound and always looked weak. Proud but weak.

“And Jake?” Julian prompted.

“Jake somehow lived, none of us knows how. After my father saved Mom, he finally started to pay attention to his second son - the small, barely viable infant. We have exceptional medical care in our family pack, so Jake was lucky enough to be looked after round the clock. It took four months for Jake to be well enough to come home, but even then he was in and out of care for years.”

Jake was small for his age, even now as a teenager, and he always seemed to get sick every year. Even Julian felt bad for the boy, despite his pessimistic outlook on life. Jake was a trouble maker, and that’s using kind words, but Julian had always assumed it was because he was smaller, younger and sicker. He struggled in school, struggled in sports and struggled socially, it was no wonder he hated the world.

Riley continued, “Jake will always be too weak to become an Alpha. He should be, it’s his birthright but he can’t handle the transformations even as a beta. The transformations aren’t pleasant even for healthy Alphas, so for Jake it’s misery.”

“So the Alpha, Beta, Omega thing…” Julian started, not sure where he was going with it but Riley was smart and picked up on the question.

“So the Alpha is the head of the pack, the leader. You can have a bunch of Alpha’s in a pack, it’s not a role that fits just one person. My father is the Alpha of our family, but I’m also an Alpha. In terms of my pack, it just means they respect me and I have more command over them.

“A beta is well… not an Alpha. They are wolves in a pack but not strong enough to lead on their own. Beta’s aren’t bound to a pack, they can come and go whenever they want but they feel strong ties to certain packs. A lot of stories tell of Beta’s being attached to their Alpha, but that’s not quite right. They’re attached to the pack. The Alpha can change over time, and the Beta’s will stick around anyway.

“And an Omega is pretty rare but it happens. An Omega is a wolf without a pack. Maybe they were bitten and left for dead and haven’t been accepted into another pack, maybe they left willingly and want to go through it alone. But there’s a strong instinct for all wolves to be in a pack, even one they aren’t happy in. Being without a pack is such an internal curse, that a lot of Beta’s die within weeks of being pack less.”

“What about Alpha’s without a pack?” Julian asked.

“An Alpha suddenly left with no pack isn’t pleasant,” Riley sighed, “They’ll become so desperate for packmates that they’ll turn any innocent they come across. This isn’t a good thing at all - we have rules, and an Alpha caught turning or killing innocent people is a death sentence, but their instincts are so strong that rules go out the window.”

Riley could smell the fear on Julian, which had been lingering there since he’d come over, but it was starting to mix in with new curiosity. Riley couldn’t sense any anger which he was glad for - Julian seemed to be believing him.

“So if you’re the Alpha, does that mean Logan and Bas are Beta’s?” Julian asked after a few minutes of contemplation.

“Yes, but I didn’t bite them,” Riley declared almost defensively, not wanting Julian to think that for even a second, “I have never bitten anyone.”

“So who bit them?”

“Sebastian was bitten just before he moved here, some Alpha over in France that wanted to get back at Sebastian’s father,” Riley had made sure to ask Sebastian again a couple of days ago so he wouldn’t forget any of the details.

“Sebastian was an Omega and was searching for a pack but France still hunts wolves, and nobody was going to come out of hiding just to claim a new pup. His father hates wolves but loves his son, and decided it was best for him to get sent to America. It’d keep him safe but away from their family, who’d also be hunted if it was found out that they had wolves in their family line, even if he wasn’t born that way.

“His father also sent Alphonse with him, there were rumors of threats against his life too so Mr. And Mrs. Smythe decided to keep Alphonse away, even if they didn’t quite trust Sebastian anymore. I asked once why the older brother was still in France, and Sebastian told me that Reginald was likely a hunter himself though he doesn’t have confirmation of that, just speculation.

“So they were sent here, which is a pretty safe place for wolves these days. I could smell the desperation on Sebastian from a mile away, and I was quick to take him under my wing before anyone else would. Kids like Sebastian could be taken advantage of easily, and while Ohio is safe, there’s still Alpha’s out there who are wicked people.”

Julian’s hand was shaking, struggling to cope with the information. While this was all so new to him, his heart hurt at the idea of Sebastian being turned, abandoned and then sent away or risk being killed. He’d met Sebastian only the previous year, introduced to him by Riley, and by then Sebastian was a seemingly normal guy who was the caretaker for his much younger brother.

“And Logan?”

Julian had to know, had to have it all laid out there so he could process it all in one go and not in waves.

“Logan’s story is harder to hear,” Riley admitted, taking Julian’s hand and squeezing it, feeling relief when Julian doesn’t flinch away. Julian squeezes back so Riley offers him a slight smile, which Julian doesn’t notice as he’s looking down.

“I want to hear it,” Julian stated though every instinct in him was screaming to cover his ears.

Logan was his oldest friend, minus Evan and Ethan, and had been his boyfriend for longer than he’d even known Riley and Sebastian. Logan’s life already sucked enough without adding this werewolf crap in.

“Just know that Logan would have done things differently if he knew better,” Riley warned then started to explain.

“Before he met you, Logan was dating a boy at his old school. A werewolf, a cocky one who was open about what he was and enjoyed showing off a lot. That’s stupid and dangerous, but they were just kids so I can’t begrudge him for that. However, Logan was in love - at least, that’s what he thought.”

The anger was starting to come from Julian now but Riley squeezed his hand again, “He knows better now, he was just a boy.”

He continued, “The boy offered Logan the bite in exchange for… well, things. Logan accepted, getting what he wanted, and in turn, the boy gave him the bite. The boy didn’t remember how excruciating the transformation was, so when Logan started to go through it, the boy ran. It’s not a pleasant even for an adult, let alone a frightened kid on his own. Nobody saw Logan for a week, and by the time his father found him, he was dying.

“His father knows wolves, he may not approve of them but he knows enough to realize what had happened. He got Logan the help he needed then sent him here to be safe. Dalton’s safer than you think, it’s rooted in werewolf history.”

“He never told me,” Julian whispered.

“Logan hates himself,” Riley admitted, “Most wolves learn to cope with who they are, but Logan hasn’t and he may never. To him, he’s a human who has an unfortunate curse once a month and then he’ll go back to ignoring it. It’s why he’s not exactly the biggest fans of Sebastian and myself.”

It made a lot of sense to Julian now, why Logan has so many outbursts, and why there’s always someone quick to pull him away and get him calm. Julian would try but Logan would always refuse to be around Julian when he’s angry, and Julian had assumed it was because he didn’t want him to see him like that.

“Why me?” Julian asked.

“Why are we dating you?” Riley asked for clarification.

“I guess.”

“Well, it has nothing to do with werewolves.” Riley then hesitates, “Though if I am being honest, I will say that Logan enjoys how human you are, although your humanity isn’t why he’s with you. Our relationship is unconventional, but it’s unconventional for werewolves too.”

Julian did feel a bit better hearing that, knowing that the three of them weren’t dating him as some kind of mating thing. He didn’t want to ask how that worked yet.

Instead, he asked, “How many of you are there at Dalton?”

“A few,” Riley says, “It’s not just a safe place for wolves but for anyone who has connections to packs.” He thinks for a moment then says, “Like take Dwight for example, he’s completely human but his brother was killed by an Alpha so he’s at Dalton to be safe. A lot of the boys are human, and a lot of them don’t know that they go to school with wolves.”

“Like me.”

“Yes, like you.” Riley nodded.

“How does it work though? Do you just… change into a giant dog?” Julian was feeling braver now, knowing he’d process this all over time but for now he was just curious.

Riley gave him a kind smile and answered, “Well, yes. It’s easier during a full moon or if you’re an Alpha, but we can shift any time we desire. It’s not fun, so we try not to if we can help it. I don’t think Logan has ever shifted willingly, and I’m not sure about Sebastian.”

“But you have?”

“Yes, I’ve had to. My senses are heightened that way, it makes it easier to track Jake that way.”

“Have you ever tracked me?” Julian asked, eyes narrowing for a moment but he calmed when Riley answered, “Never.”

“Why not?”

Riley almost laughed, “Are you offended? Did you want me to track you?”

“No, I was just wondering,” Julian replied.

“Well, I haven’t had a reason to,” Riley explained, “You’ve been doing pretty good at keeping yourself out of harm. Until last week at least.”

“I still don’t know what happened,” Julian sounded defensive but Riley just shook his head, “It’s alright, nobody blames you.”

“We don’t know what happened,” he continues, “Sebastian said he smelled magic, but it was long gone by the time he and Logan went back the next day. Probably some fae folk messing around.”

“Fae folk? Like faeries?” Julian frowned.

“Exactly, or it may have been witches but we’re hoping it wasn’t since a witch messing with you would mean it’s personal.”

“But why would I be targeted?”

“I’d like to know the same thing. If it was the fae, it was just a game and you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But if it were a witch, then they’d likely tried to get you to get to one of us.”

“But nothing happened,” Julian protested, “Apart from getting lost and time getting all fucked up.”

“I wish I could give you answers but we don’t know either,” Riley sighed, “It does seem more of a fae trick, but we’re keeping our eyes and ears out just in case. You will be safe, something like that shouldn’t happen again but you really shouldn’t go out on your own for a while.”

“I don’t want to be babysat,” Julian protested.

“Don’t think of it like that, think of us just wanting to spend time with you. Because we do - we all love you, so it’s not that you’re burdening us.” Riley studied Julian’s eyes as he said this, wanting Julian to understand, but Julian just glanced away.

“I need time to think,” Julian said after a moment, “This was a lot.”

Riley agreed, “It was, but I know you’re strong enough to handle this. Sebastian and Logan both miss you too, it’s hurting them to not be here but they’re both willing to wait as long as it takes until you’re ready to see them again.”

Julian kept his head down, and Riley normally would leave that but this time he lifted Julian’s face gently once more and kissed him. Julian sighed into the kiss but returned it, eyes closing and fingers grasping for Riley’s jacket, wanting to soak into the moment but Riley pulled back all too soon, pressing his forehead against Julian’s.

“Thank you for letting me explain,” Riley whispered then added, “No more secrets.”

Julian nodded, reluctantly letting go of Riley’s jacket then gazed at him when Riley stood up.

“I’ll be safe?” He asked for assurance, and Riley nodded, “You will be. You’re one of the safest people right now, Julian, everyone’s looking out for you.”

Julian didn’t want to pry into that, taking Riley’s words as truth without seeking details. Riley gave him one last kiss, a quick peck on the lips before he slipped out of the room, needing to head away to talk to his pack. He left Julian’s house feeling like the world was off his shoulders. Sure he had a lot of concerns and this wasn’t the end of their problems, but they were starting to repair things.

* * *

Both Logan and Sebastian were waiting for Riley when he left Julian’s, pacing up and down the street and Riley could smell the anxiety coming from them both in waves. Riley gave them a nod as he approached, each of his hands going to the back of their necks for a moment to calm them before putting them back at his sides.

“He’s coming around, he needs more time but he knows everything now.”

“Does he hate us?” Sebastian asked.

“No,” Riley promised and could see his betas searching his face to see if that was the truth so he added, “He’s angry and hurt, but there’s no hatred there. He will be okay when he comes around to it.”

Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief and glanced over at Julian’s house, so Riley told him, “Go home, Sebastian, I will keep watch tonight. You’ve done well to keep him safe.”

Sebastian made a noise in the back of his throat that was almost a whine but he soon agreed, not because it was a command but because he knew a hot shower, a good meal and a long sleep will do him well; that Riley wouldn’t let any harm come to Jules.

“Logan, you too,” Riley told the other beta who had curled fists and a clenched jaw, “Rest, there’s nothing else we can do today. If I smell magic, you two will be the first I’ll call.”

“If you leave him alone…” Logan started to threaten, making Sebastian winced but Riley just nodded, “I know.”

Logan also glanced towards Julian’s house, then turned around and strolled off. Riley touched Sebastian’s arm and said, “Home, Sebastian, your brother will be missing you.”

“And yours?” Sebastian asked, wondering what Riley would do if Jake needed him when he’s supposed to be on watch.

“I have Colby and Ace keeping an eye on him, he got into a fight earlier so he’ll be recovering. I don’t expect much trouble from him for a few days. Don’t worry, Julian will be safe, I’m not as incompetent as you all seem to think.”

“I don’t th-” Sebastian started but Riley just shrugged, “Just go, Sebastian.” He could hear Sebastian’s heart start beating harder, but it wasn’t a surprise. He’s known for ages that neither of the betas trusts him completely, Logan more so than Sebastian.

Riley isn’t their first choice of Alpha, but with their strong connections to Julian, they stuck with him rather than the other Alphas in their lives. It would be harder for them to date Julian while Jules is dating another pack’s Alpha, the territorial issues would cause too much trouble.

Sebastian turned and left eventually too, leaving Riley standing in the darkening street. It was going to be a long night but he had a lot of thinking to do himself, and being alone for that would be good. He’d be able to detect any danger before it got to Julian although he was almost positive that nothing else would effect Julian. He decided one more week of keeping an eye on their boyfriend would be enough then they can start easing up.

True to his word, Riley kept vigil all night and as he predicted, nothing major happened. He could sense when Julian had a nightmare in the middle of the night and he had to resist the urge to go to comfort him, knowing it’d do more harm than good and had to wait until it had passed and Julian’s emotions faded.

Sebastian was first to meet in at daybreak, looking a lot more refreshed than he had in a few days and Riley gave him a careful smile.

“I’ll take it from here,” Sebastian said then held his phone up, “He messaged me, so I guess it’s my turn to talk.”

“Good luck,” Riley said, feeling weary as he yawned, “Do I need to keep an eye on Alphonse for you?”

“No,” Sebastian said, itching to get in and see Julian but not wanting to disrespect his Alpha, “He’s being looked after. Just go home and sleep, you look exhausted.”

“I am,” Riley admitted then said, “Call me if you need me.”

Sebastian watched him leave then turned and headed into Julian’s house.


	3. Magic's In The Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The need to protect Julian is stronger than ever, so they have to learn to put their differences aside to keep him safe.

It took another few days of them all going in one-by-one until everything was said into the open. None of them visited more than any of the others, they only went over invited and Julian invited them all over in rotation. It wasn’t the usual routine - normally they would show up when they wanted or coming home after spending all day with Julian. Sometimes there would be more than one of them there when Julian was feeling particularly lonely or needy.

Not that Julian was into sex as much as some of the rumors that floated around would say, he had a perfectly average sex life if you ignored the fact that he had three boyfriends. None of them were used for a particular reason, they all had their qualities that Julian saw in them but 90% of his relationship with any of them was romantic and not sexual.

Jealousy was common amongst the four of them, that couldn’t be helped. Logan felt the worst of it, having been with Julian the longest and being the most possessive of him. Sebastian would get jealous when Julian would spend more time with one of the others, but he was also the easiest to placate. Riley didn’t get jealous quite so much but much to Julian’s constant amusement, he’d become whiny when feeling left out. Julian couldn’t deny that he’d sometimes purposefully mess with them just to get them needing him.

However, with the new revelation to Julian about all three of them being werewolves, it changed things. Julian spent a lot of time thinking about how they’d be able to _smell_ the others on him, and he wondered if that ever hurt them. All of them knew and agreed to this unconventional relationship and Julian was open about anything except the intimate details, but understanding and liking were two different things and that line could be thin.

Julian asked Logan about it when he’d seen him the first time after the secret came out. Logan had confirmed that they could smell the others scents, and if Julian had been particularly intimate with someone, they could smell that too. Julian had felt ashamed to hear that, while also feeling like they were somehow knowing things they shouldn’t. It didn’t cause much of an argument since Logan explained that they couldn’t stop it, it was like walking into a bakery and being forced to smell the fresh goods.

All three of them had promised that Julian being a human, or them being werewolves, had nothing to do with why they were attracted to him so Julian had no choice but to accept that. It did help mend the relationships. Sebastian was more than happy to tell him all the history and lore of werewolves, Logan would run through the latest yearbook and point out all the other wolves (“Nicky is one, but Lawrence isn’t. Danny is another born wolf. We don’t know about Han, I suspect vampire but nobody will listen.” and so forth), and Riley would answer any more technical and personal questions.

By the time it was nearing two weeks since he was lost in the forest, since the last full moon, Julian was ready to emerge and return to a new sort of normal. He was still hesitant to engage in more than just a kiss here and there, and never let any of them stay the night but their conversations had turned from only werewolf talk to their normal banters, and he started letting them come over when they wanted, not just through his invitations.

While Julian was dealing with his three closest relationships, he wasn’t ignoring his other ones. Derek came over plenty, and they talked every day even if just through text. Derek was a spot of normal for him so it didn’t surprise anyone that Julian was using Derek to stay grounded. It took Julian a lot longer to be receptive to Haven, knowing they’d lied to him that night he was lost. He suspected that they were also werewolves or something but nobody else could answer, they simply didn’t know.

Julian was sitting out by his pool when he decided to message Corey who had been the last to contact him that morning, sending a selfie with a “Miss you!”. None of them had stopped messaging him throughout the past week-and-a-half and weren’t badgering him as to why he wasn’t answering, either knowing that they’d messed up and were being given the silent treatment, or just knew Julian got busy sometimes and would give them replies when he could.

****Julian [2:23 pm]:**** Hey.

****Corey (Haven) [2:23 pm]:**** Hey J! Good to hear from you. Want me to call?

****Julian [2:24 pm]:**** No.

****Julian [2:24 pm]:**** Wait, sure.

His phone rang a few seconds later, and he answered with no greeting, letting Corey speak first.

“Hey Jules, good to hear from you. Been busy back in boring ol' Ohio?” Corey sounded slightly slurred and Julian almost scolded him for day-drinking but couldn’t bring himself to. Not that it’d change anything, those boys did what they wanted and when.

“Yeah, been busy,” Julian kicked his legs in the water and watched the small waves ripple, “What have you guys been up to?”

“Just bumming around,” Corey answered, “The same old for us.”

“How was your show?” Julian wasn’t even going to beat around the bush.

“What show?” Corey replied confused, “We haven’t had a show in a month or so.”

“Yeah, I know,” Julian sighed, still hoping that maybe he’d gotten it wrong but Corey had just confirmed it.

“What show do you mean?”

“Don’t worry about it. Can I talk to Sin?”

“Uh, sure. I think he’s still asleep but I can wake up,” Corey said and it sounded like he was walking.

“Thanks.” Julian didn’t want to get mad at Corey when it was Sinclair who’d been the one to lie, even if he knew all the boys had probably been with him. And besides, Corey was drunk and Julian never thought it a fair fight when one was sober and the other not.

There was a few minutes before Sinclair’s tired voice was asking, “Huh, Jules?”

“Morning sleepyhead,” Julian greeted without amusement, “You know your management hates you ruining your sleep schedules.”

“Fuck them,” Sinclair yawned then asked, “What’s up, J? Is something wrong?”

“Yeah, something’s wrong. You didn’t have a show two weekends ago, so why did you lie?”

There was silence on the other end, Sinclair blinking away his sleepiness as he tried to catch his brain up with the words.

“Well shit,” Sinclair muttered, “Look, J, I’m sorry. We had something goin-”

“Are you all wolves too?” Julian interrupted, not caring to hear Sinclair’s excuses.

“W-what?” Sinclair feigned shock and Julian just scoffed, “Yeah, I know all about them now.”

There was movement on the other end of the line, and when Sinclair spoke again he sounded very much awake. “Is this a conversation we’re really having now because I don’t want to be the one to have it.”

“So you are,” Julian sighed since Sinclair wasn’t denying it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath then added, “All of you?”

“No,” Sinclair seemed to be hesitating, as if not sure what he should be admitting to.

“Just you?” Julian prompted impatiently.

“Uh, can you just hold on?” Sinclair said and there were some hushed whispers that Julian couldn’t hear, but he knew it meant Sinclair was asking someone what he should say or do. After a long few minutes, it wasn’t Sinclair on the other end of the line, but Clark.

“Jules?”

“Yes, I’m still waiting for an answer. How many of you are wolves?”

Clark at least wasn’t hesitant like Sinclair was, “Myself, Sinny and Raven are. Mikey and Corey are human.”

“Since I’ve known you?” Julian asked, getting good at asking a lot of batshit insane questions without getting too worked up.

“Well, Raven and I, yes. But Sinclair is only a new wolf, a few months back.”

“Thank you,” Julian said and he meant it - he was glad he got a straight answer even if it just added to the new complexities in his life.

Julian openly hooked up with Haven whenever he was around them, and even with his boyfriends' assurances that their interest in him was normal, a sliver of doubt came back.

“How’d you find out?” Clark did sound worried now.

“Turns out I’m dating three of them, and the pieces started to click in place.”

“Nobody can know,” Clark tells him seriously, “Not even your boys. It’s extremely dangerous for anyone to know about us, Julian. Only a few people know. If anyone finds out that we’re werewolves, we’ll be hunted down.”

“I was told that the US is safe?” Julian frowned, and Clark said, “It’s safer than other places, but there’s still people who’d come to kill us. Even if we only stuck to the US, we’re too famous that word would spread within the hour. I’m only admitting this to you because we all love you and we know you won’t betray us.”

“How do you know I won’t betray you?” Julian asked but there was a coyness in his tone, and luckily Clark picked up on that when he answered, “Cause you love us too, and you’d be annoyed at having to fly for our funerals.”

Julian sighed rather than smile and says, “Look, I have to go. I’ve had a lot of information come my way recently about wolves. Just… don’t lie to me anymore. I’ll keep your secret safe, but I’m not gonna be happy if you guys keep leaving me in the dark. I get enough of that here.”

“Loud and clear, captain.” Julian could almost see Clark saluting, and that did give him a smile.

“Talk later, Clark. Tell Sinny sorry for spooking him.”

“He’ll be okay,” Clark said, “But let us come see you this weekend, we can make it up to you.”

“Yeah, okay,” Julian agreed then before hanging up he added, “Love you guys.”

“We love you too, stay safe.”

The conversation ended, and Julian put his phone aside. He stared at the pool, wondering just how messy his life had gotten. Just a month ago, all he had to worry about was getting to the end of the school year unscathed, and now he had been thrown into a world of make-belief. He hadn’t even dwelled on the fae and witch stuff yet, but Riley kept assuring him that they’d handle it and he just needs to be safe when going through that area again.

Julian got up from the pool and dried his legs off lazily before heading inside, letting all the thoughts mull about in his mind. He was either seriously blind or werewolves were better at hiding in plain sight than he realized. He remembers Sebastian telling that their eyes will glow sometimes, just a quick flash if they’re mad or scared, but Julian’s never noticed, even with Logan or Riley who have short fuses.

Julian was planning to go out that evening, do a bit of retail therapy if he could get away with no being spotted. He got himself showered and dressed, sunglasses and large sun hat propped on his face to give him a semblance of disguise. However before he could grab his keys and head out, the front door opened and he saw Logan, Riley _and_ Sebastian standing there. Logan didn’t look happy.

“What now?” Julian sighed, dropping down onto the couch and accepting that he wasn’t going to get to leave any time soon. This was the first time all four had been in the same room since the night after he’d been rescued, and that wasn’t lost on Julian.

“Who’s been here?” Logan demanded, staying where he was while Sebastian made his way to Julian and started looking him over. Riley was heading upstairs, no greeting from him.

“What? Nobody, it’s been me all day.” Julian frowned, flicking Sebastian’s hand away from touching his face, “At least until you idiots barged in.”

“There’s been magic in here,” Sebastian said, a lot calmer than Logan was but there was still an edge of uneasiness.

“Here? Nothing’s happened, I was outside for a while and chatting to Haven then came in and took a shower.”

“Nothing felt weird to you?” Sebastian asked.

“I’m not a wolf, I can’t sense anything,” Julian reminded him then asked, “Is it the same magic from that weekend?”

“Yes,” Logan answered even though he hadn’t been there that time, only Sebastian had caught it, but Sebastian’s nod agreed with Logan, “The same. It’s unique.”

Julian said no more - it made him uneasy, more so because of how stressed all three of them seemed. Riley had finished checking upstairs and was checking all the rooms downstairs now, and Logan joined him. Sebastian stayed with Julian but was confident that none of the magic had touched Julian, there wasn’t a strong sense of it over his boyfriend.

“It’s fading,” Riley reported when he came back, “But it was here, in the house. The kitchen is stronger than the other rooms, then it fades when it gets to the back door.”

“I was out there,” Julian protested, “Something was watching me?”

“Maybe,” Riley answered honestly, “Was the house locked?”

“Uh, I don’t know,” Julian admitted then realized it probably wasn’t - he got lazy sometimes since the house was gated, and he’d had enough to worry about than checking the doors every night.

“You’re a fucking idiot,” Logan growled taking a step towards him, but Riley grabbed his wrist and squeezed, “Calm down.”

“He could have been cursed!” Logan yanked his arm away, furious green eyes glaring at Julian, “Don’t you understand that?”

Julian was speechless.

Sebastian spoke up, “He doesn’t understand, Logan, how could he? It’s not his fault, so stop yelling at him.”

“We told him to stay alert!” Logan growled, and Sebastian shot a look at Riley who was looking ready to step in if things got physical.

“You told me I was safe here,” Julian finally spat back, getting off the sofa and levelling a glare back at Logan, “You all told me that you were keeping an eye on the house.”

At least Riley looked guilty for a moment, but Logan’s anger didn’t vanish and in fact, seemed to grow. “You should be smarter! You’re a fucking celebrity, why are you not locking your door? Even without a witch after you, that should be common sense!”

"Alright, that’s enough!” Riley said, looking between the quarrelling boys. Julian stared at him, wondering if he can catch a look at his eyes but they looked normal to him. Logan didn’t seem to react unnaturally, so Julian just assumed Riley wasn’t being an Alpha right now.

“We let our guard down, but so did you, Julian,” Riley said with a sigh, “It shouldn’t have happened, but we will do better from now on. I want you locking your doors and windows every day, we have no idea how powerful this witch is, or what they want from you.”

“Would a locked door even stop it?” Sebastian asks.

“Probably not, but we can’t let it think getting to Julian is going to be easy, either,” Riley says then glances around - all the magic had vanished by now but it still made him uneasy.

“It probably followed Julian home and has been waiting for us to slip up,” Logan says, angry at himself for letting it get close to him again, though he was still angry at everyone else too, including Julian.

“Maybe,” Riley says then admits, “I don’t know enough about witches to say for sure. We really should talk to someone else, ask what else we can do to keep Julian safe. If it did follow Julian home, he’s caught its eye and I know they don’t like to give up easily.”

“Can’t we just have J stay with one of us or Derek?” Logan asked and Julian felt a bit frustrated that they were all talking like he wasn’t in the room, but he was feeling a bit freaked out that something was in his home, possibly watching him and he had no idea.

Riley seemed to consider this, looking between them all then said, “There’s a risk that it’ll follow Julian to our homes, too.”

“So?” Logan fought back, “I’m not leaving him here on his own.”

“I’m not suggesting that,” Riley shot him a look, “I’m just making sure we’re all aware of the risks. We all have family living with us right now, even Derek.”

It was true - Sebastian was the only guardian of Alphonse, Derek was staying with his parents and Amanda, Logan had Austin over for the summer, and Riley had Jake and his parents to keep an eye on. Julian had his mother hair, the only one without a younger sibling but they knew for sure that the witch knew Julian lived here, it was the most dangerous place for him to be.

“He can stay with me,” Sebastian spoke up, a hand in Julian’s and keeping him close, “It’ll be easier for me to keep an eye on him and Al at the same time.”

“No,” Logan protested, “My house is more guarded.”

“Yes, and your dad can’t stand Julian,” Sebastian pointed out then gave Julian an apologetic look, not meaning to be so blunt but it was the truth.

“Fuck him,” Logan growled, “I don’t care what that asshole thinks. Julian comes first.”

Julian closed his eyes for a moment as they continued to bicker between themselves, only Riley catching it. He was getting sick of the fighting even if he knew they all just wanted to protect him. He knew it’d come down to choosing between them, and which he was fine with that if it was for a night or two, he couldn’t handle the idea of picking which to stay with for protection.

“I’ll go stay with Clark,” he said quietly but they all heard him anyway. The arguing stopped and they all looked at him. He opened his eyes and looked to Logan then Riley, knowing Sebastian was paying close attention too.

“They’ll look after me,” Julian continued, “They were going to come to get me soon anyway, maybe as well bump it up a few days. Nobody’s going to follow me to California, and their manor is safer than anything here.”

“They won’t be prepared if anything happens,” Sebastian said, sounding a bit calmer but clearly not pleased about the idea. They couldn’t protect him if he was in another state.

“Nothing will happen,” Julian looked at him, “I can tell them I have a stalker and need a place to lay low for a while, they’ll keep me safe.”

“Julian, I like that idea but there are some things we have to think about,” Riley said, “You have interviews and auditions scheduled in a few weeks, school isn’t far off from starting up again, and what about your mother? We don’t know what this witch wants if it’s dangerous or just curious.”

Julian sighed. His life was too complicated now. He used to be able to jet off to California for a week or two away and it wouldn’t concern anyone, even if his boyfriends got all whiny about it. He’d tell his parents, do what he needed then come back and resume school.

“I’ll tell Dolce that I’m going to stay with Clark, she won’t mind. You guys need to keep her safe while I’m gone. I’ll be back before school, I’m sure the witch will have given up by then. And I can cancel my appearances - Travis won’t be happy but who cares at this point.”

“I don’t like this plan,” Logan said, green eyes blazing but he felt like he was the only one on that side. Even Sebastian looked like he wasn’t going to put up a fight to keep Julian with them instead. “We can’t have Julian run and hide every time there’s danger.”

“Yes we can,” Riley said, “Because it’s what will keep him alive. As long as we do it right, we’ll get the witch off his trail and he can come back in a few weeks.” He looks at Julian now and says, “As far as we can tell, this is the first time you’ve been caught on something’s radar, I think it’s smart for you to go lay low for a while.”

“I don’t want to,” Julian was looking at Logan now, “But it’s the only thing that makes sense.” He knew that the Haven boys would keep him safe, especially now knowing their secret which despite that, he still trusted them.

It wasn’t like any of them had to spend time away from Julian before- if he had a shoot, he’d go away for a few weeks. They’d talk online or have long phone calls to fill in the time, sometimes go see him if they had a long weekend off but otherwise they’d wait until he got back. But this was different in that none of them liked the idea of him being out of sight where they can’t protect him, it felt wrong in a way.

“Can you contact Clark today, see how quickly we can get you there? Until then, one of us will stay in the house with you at all times.” Riley stated, looking to Logan and Sebastian to see if they were on board. Sebastian was nodding, and while Logan still looked upset by it, he soon gave a nod in agreement.

“Sure,” Julian said as he got his phone out, ready to shoot Clark some texts. While he did, Riley stepped to Logan and motioned him towards the stairs, “Can we talk?”

Logan eyed him warily then nodded, “Fine.” and so he followed Riley upstairs and through to Julian’s bedroom. Sebastian felt left out but he figured he’d know what they talked about sooner or later, especially if it was pack business which has always included Julian, even if Julian wasn’t aware of it.

“I’m asking you to keep your head together,” Riley told Logan once they’d closed the door, looking at the tall blond, “You know we’re not going to be sending Julian into a dangerous situation, none of us will ever do that if we can help it.”

“How can those idiots protect him?” Logan shot back, “They don’t know what kind of danger Julian is in, they could leave him alone.”

“Do you trust Julian?”

Logan hesitated, not because he _didn’t_ but because he knew where this conversation was leading. He glared instead of answering, but Riley took the unsaid answer and continued, “Then trust him to keep himself safe. They have more security there, if Julian does tell them that he has a stalker, they won’t leave him anywhere risky.”

“A witch and a person are different,” Logan countered, “If that thing finds Julian, who knows what lengths it’ll go to get at him?”

Riley shook his head, “We can’t keep him wrapped up in a bubble. What will happen when school starts again and we can’t keep watching him every minute of every day?”

“ _You_ can’t keep watching him, you mean. Sebastian and I live in the same building as him, we’d be able to keep him safe.”

“I know you would, both of you love him,” Riley agreed, “That’s not what I’m saying though. I’m saying we need to lose the witches interest before Julian gets hurt. California is the safest bet without sending him overseas where nobody can look out for him. I don’t like this either, Logan, but I’m willing to put my emotions aside to keep him safe. It’ll just be a few weeks then he can come home.”

Logan felt defeated - this was going to happen whether he threw a fit or not. He _hated_ when Riley was right, the arrogance irked him in ways he couldn’t articulate and that was even before he knew him as an Alpha or a mutual boyfriend of Julian’s. He out of all of them felt the most competitive over Julian, wanting to always prove that he loved him the most, that he was the one Julian should prefer. He never said that out loud, but he knew that all picked up on it, and that gave him a sense of satisfaction.

“Fine,” was all Logan said begrudgingly. Riley nodded to him then said, “Thank you, Logan. How about you take the first watch? We don’t need to set out times, just give one of us a heads up when you need to head away so we can cover.”

Riley knew it was highly likely that Logan would just stay until Julian boarded for his flight, but that was something he was willing to deal with. All four of them have spent enough time together that it won’t be a bother if that happened again, as long as Logan was aware that he had priority. It was _something_ Riley could do to help ease the tension.

“Okay,” Logan moved past him, wanting the conversation to end so he can get back downstairs. He wanted to do another run of the property, see if there was anything they missed while he had the chance even though he knows any magic would have long faded by now.

“Wait,” Riley reached out, an arm on Logan’s arm making Logan stop in his tracks unwillingly.

“What?” He hissed through clenched teeth.

“We don’t have to be enemies, Logan,” Riley stated, “You know I care about you.”

“As the Alpha.”

“As my friend.”

Logan shrugged his arm away finally then without even glancing at him, he muttered, “I don’t need you. Get bent.” He left the room, leaving Riley standing there watching him descend the stairs.

Riley was getting a lot closer with a good relationship with Sebastian, as both his Alpha and his friend, but it was like he hit a brick wall with Logan every time. Logan always had the choice to leave and join another pack or even go rogue, even with knowing that Julian was in Riley’s pack for now, but he stayed around. Riley wondered if Julian ever left for good, that it wouldn’t take more than a heartbeat for Logan and Sebastian to abandon him too, leaving him alone.

What gave Riley the most concern over Julian going away for a while, new to the world of the supernatural and with a target painted on his back, was that he’d not want to return. Thoughts of Julian not coming home crossing his mind made his heartbeat just a bit faster. He could deal with losing his pack, it wouldn’t take him long to rebuild but the thought of losing Julian in any way hurt.

It wasn’t an original thought of course - sometimes Julian preferred one of the others for whatever reason, leaving him and the other one shut out for a while, and the thoughts would happen then too. Sure, Riley had been the pick-of-the-week a handful of times so he knew what Julian was like, but he wasn’t immune to the self-deprecating thoughts.

However, unlike Logan and Sebastian, Riley wasn’t open about it. Sebastian could get whiny, and Logan visibly upset when they felt left out, but Riley took it in silence. He was born to be a leader and not let his emotions get the better of him, however, it meant that he wasn’t ever asked how he was feeling, and often overlooked in favor of the others. It’s just something he is learning to deal with.

So for now, Riley takes a deep breath and prepares to go back downstairs and be their leader, be the voice of reason and the one who agrees to do what is best regardless of his own feelings.


End file.
